HMV to open online digital download store
HMV are to introduce an online digital MP3 download store for music lovers this August, it has today been revealed. HMVdigital will put the retailer in direct competition with the likes of Amazon and iTunes, as HMV look to combat ever dwindling CD sales.
Designed by digital specialists 7Digital (in whom HMV bought a 50% share last year for around £7.7 million), the downloads will be compatible with both PC and MAC, syncing up with either your iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries.
In terms of pricing, singles will start at 40p, while full albums will begin at £4.99. Each month one artist will be listed as “Featured”, with substantial discounts applied to their catalogue of songs. The first featured artist is set to be Eminem.
“We are delighted to launch a world class download store that reflects both HMV’s music retailing heritage and our strategy to be a broad-based entertainment brand,” said HMV’s head of online and digital Sarah Hughes.
“Our partners at 7digital have built for us a significantly improved new site that looks great and has never been easier to use. With so many innovative and wonderful features, it offers a truly intuitive and engaging customer experience that I very much hope will lead to HMV becoming a bigger player in the burgeoning digital market.”
